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Guide to Student Conduct Hearings

View Guide to Student Conduct Hearings

Notification

The process of campus adjudication begins once the Office of Student Conduct receives an Incident Report from University Housing , ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Police, a municipality and/or another source. Once the information is processed, a written notification (typically an email to the KSU address, in accordance with ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø's Code of Student Conduct, Section 1.E  and Policy Register 9-01.2) will be provided to the accused student with (or to set up) a hearing date, time and location. The email will contain the Incident Report, accusation(s) and resources to the student conduct process.

Sanction Hearing

A Sanction Hearing is called such because when convened the student has accepted responsibility for the prohibited conduct violation and the hearing is designed to determine the sanction. Sanction Hearings have one hearing officer making decisions. After a conversation about the information within the Incident Report, the hearing officer will apply sanctions, as appropriate. If the student decides at any time prior to, or during, a Sanction Hearing that they do not accept responsibility, the Office of Student Conduct will schedule a Hearing Panel with the student.

Hearing Panel

At a Hearing Panel, the decision makers have to determine if a violation of prohibited conduct occurred. If, and only if, they come to this determination, they will apply sanctions. A Hearing Panel is composed of three hearing officers and facilitated by a student conduct convener (who may serve on the panel). The Hearing Panel will ask the accused student, the complainant, investigator (if participating), and witness(es) (if participating) for information pertaining to the Incident Report as well as any background information. There will be a time during the hearing that questions may be asked of and by the participants as deemed necessary and appropriate.

Once the Hearing Panel has gathered enough information to come to a decision they will go into a private deliberation. The hearing will then be reconvened and the Hearing Panel will supply the findings as well as sanctions (only if the student is found responsible). A Report of Finding containing the results of the hearing and details of any sanctions that have been imposed will be provided to the accused student, complainant and investigator as appropriate.

Administrative Hearing 

An administrative hearing is consistent with the process of a Hearing Panel. In an Administrative Hearing, one hearing officer serves as the decision maker. 

View Guide to Student Conduct Administrative Hearings

Appeal

For both a Sanction Hearing and a Hearing Panel, the Student (or the Complainant) may submit an appeal, to the Office of Student Conduct within seven calendar days from the conclusion of the hearing using the online appeal form:

Submit an online appeal form

An appeal may be on the basis of:

•     Procedural irregularity that affected the outcome of the matter; and/or
•     New evidence that was not reasonably available at the time of the determination regarding responsibility or dismissal was made, that could affect the outcome of the matter; and/or
•     The hearing officer(s) had a conflict of interest or bias for or against complainants or respondents generally or the individual complainant or respondent that affected the outcome of the matter; and/or
•     For decisions resulting in suspension or dismissal from the university only (including but not limited to suspension, dismissal, removal from university housing, and persona non grata): sanction(s) imposed were not appropriate for the conduct violation for which the respondent was found responsible.

The Appeal Panel is composed of three (3) ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø faculty or staff members appointed by the vice president for student affairs who are trained by the Office of Student Conduct. The Appeal Panel will provide a recommendation in writing to the vice president for student affairs (or designee) within 15 days of receipt of the appeal. The vice president for enrollment management and student affairs (or designee) will provide a written decision within 15 days of receipt from the Appeal Panel. The decision will be provided to the accused student and complainant via communication from the Office of Student Conduct. See the Code of Student Conduct for additional information regarding appeals.

Outcomes / Sanctions

If a student accepts responsibility for a campus violation (or is found responsible), the following sanctions may be assigned:

•     Academic Reflection
•     Alcohol, Substance Abuse, or other Educational Course
•     Community Service
•     Counseling Referral
•     Disciplinary Dismissal
•     Disciplinary Probation
•     Disciplinary Suspension
•     Decision Making/Ethics Educational Course
•     Letter of Apology
•     Monetary Fine (maximum $200)
•     Restitution
•     Warning
•     Other as deemed appropriate through the disciplinary process

It is the responsibility of the student to fulfill the sanction by the assigned due date. Failure to comply with a sanction may be grounds for further disciplinary charges.

A flowchart depiction of the student conduct process will soon be available.